PHOENIX — After a lull in competition last week for most teams in the North Valley, it’s been back to work this week as we get closer to the playoffs. Here’s a look at some results from earlier this week, as well as what events are still to come.

Wrap-up

In volleyball, Horizon defeated Desert Mountain on Monday 3-0, while Notre Dame Prep swept Chaparral 3-0 in a match that could have gone either way. Saguaro also swept Cactus Shadows.

On Tuesday, Arcadia defeated St. Mary’s 3-1, while Pinnacle swept Canyon View 3-0. Saguaro also picked up a 3-0 victory over Cactus, while Xavier swept Apollo 3-0, as well. Moving on to Wednesday, Xavier downed Sunnyslope 3-1, Chaparral swept Desert Mountain and Notre Dame Prep swept Centennial. Phoenix Country Day School also picked up a 3-0 win over San Tan Charter.

For girls flag football, there were no North Valley teams in action on Monday evening. On Tuesday, Saguaro fell in a close one to Marcos de Niza 18-16 and Arcadia lost a tough one to Mesquite 52-0.

Pinnacle also suffered a tough loss to O’Connor 42-6. Xavier picked up a nice 38-3 win over Tucson, Horizon edged out Notre Dame Prep 9-7, and Desert Mountain shut out North Canyon 34-0. On Wednesday, Xavier was the only team in action from the area and suffered a 34-7 loss to Millennium.

In boys golf, Chaparral finished in first place on Monday in front of Cactus Shadows and Millennium by four strokes. Saguaro and Notre Dame Prep also teed off against Corona del Sol and Higley on Monday, where NDP shot three over par 147 for a first place finish, with Saguaro coming in second by nine strokes.

On Tuesday, Saguaro and Cactus Shadows faced off against Mesa Mountain View, where Cactus Shadows finished four over par 148 to come in first.

In girls golf, Chaparral, Notre Dame Prep and Saguaro teed off on Monday, where Chaparral edged out Notre Dame Prep by two strokes to finish in first place. On Tuesday, Xavier faced off against Hamilton, where they shot five under par 139 to defeat Hamilton by 52 strokes.

Looking ahead

In tackle football, there’s no North Valley teams in action on Thursday night this week.

On Friday, Brophy will have another shot to prove they’re one of the big dogs when they face off against Basha, while Horizon and Desert Mountain will battle it out to see who advances to be 8-1 on the season.

Arcadia will travel to Eastmark, Saguaro will travel to Higley and Pinnacle will travel to Cactus Canyon. Notre Dame Prep will host AZ College Prep, and Cactus Shadows will look to upset Chaparral at home.

Meanwhile for girls flag football, Notre Dame Prep will take on Campo Verde on Thursday while Desert Mountain will host Mountain Pointe. Cactus Shadows will also host ALA-West Foothills, while Horizon travels to Benjamin Franklin. Chaparral will also host Arcadia.

On Friday, Pinnacle will look to rebound from the loss earlier this week when they take on Mountain Ridge.

For volleyball, Saguaro travels to Mesquite on Thursday while Pinnacle travels to Boulder Creek. Cactus Shadows will host Arcadia and Xavier will host Desert Vista.

On Friday, Phoenix Country Day School will host Veritas Prep as one of the few games on the schedule.

In boys golf, Cactus Shadows and Saguaro will tee off against Glendale and Sunnyslope on Thursday, while in girls golf, Xavier will take on Mountain Ridge.

Finally, Friday marks the start of competition for singles and pairs at the badminton state championships with round one and two taking place. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final rounds will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Brittany Bowyer is a Report for America corps member, covering sports for Independent Newsmedia in Arizona. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.